DoD Program 1033: Militarizing America’s Cops

Recent reports emerging from Utah have traditional American conservatives, nationalists and civil libertarians in an outrage at the extent of the militarization of domestic United States law enforcement agencies, including their practices, tactics and equipment.

And while the military-industrial-banking complex may be slavering over the profits it sees from programs like Utah’s, regular citizens are increasingly in the crosshairs of these new soldier-cops, a dangerous prospect for anyone who may find themselves at the mercy of U.S. law enforcement.

A January 19, 2014 article in The Salt Lake Tribune exposed the DoD Excess Property Program, or “1033 program,” run by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) “to transfer leftover military materiel (supplies and equipment) to U.S. state and local civilian law enforcement agencies,” including “grenade launchers, helicopters, military robots, M-16 assault rifles, armored vehicles, riverboats, Battle Dress Uniform clothing, and information technology equipment.”